Panthers or leopards are charismatic members of the cat family. Leopards are found in the forests of Siberia, Korea, Java, the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and across Africa. The leopard Panthera pardus has characteristic rosette-like markings on its buff or tawny body, which helps it camouflage easily in its dappled forest homes. It measures 1.3 to 1.9 m in length and is extremely agile — with an ability to climb trees and a capacity to adapt to different types of climates. Despite this, their numbers have gone down drastically. Leopards are killed for their skins, and their body parts are used to make medicines. Destruction of their homes has also reduced their prey base, thus reducing their population and increasing human-animal conflict. Leopards share a striking similarity with most other cats — they rest during the day and are active during the night. Males fight for territories and over females. Cubs stay with the mother for about 18 months to two years after which they are completely independent.